Lots of rifles in lots of calibers that would work. The parts of PA I have been in most really didn't lend themselves to shots of much more than 200-300 yards at the most, and even then a 100 yard shot was more reasonable. For that hunting I really like a lever rifle in .30-30. Light, handy, easy to carry all day, easy to come up on game quick. More than enough rifle to take a deer at 200 yards, though trajectory does fall off fairly quick if you are using round nose bullets. It is very easy on the shoulder.
Another options I like is a .243win. A fairly light recoiling rifle and with the better deer bullets, certainly capable. Some argue it isn't enough for deer but I haven't seen that to be the case if a proper shot is taken. Certainly a viable option and on the low side of recoil.
The 7mm-08 is a great round and recoils less than a .308.
The mention of 6.5 Swede is a great one. A fantastic round that gives you a wide variety of game you can take without being excessively over gunned or under gunned. Maybe not a grizzly round but that wasn't the game mentioned.
.308 works well too. Maybe a bit hard hitting for the distances I have available in PA, but a versatile round with great factory ammo selection.
.30-06 is a close to the .308, just a little more recoil and a little more speed. Really not needed for deer but it allows you to hunt about anything you could dream up on this 48.
There are others in there like the .260, .270, and .280, as well as a bunch of milsurp rounds as well that all would make good deer chamberings. Basically buy what you like. Anymore it seems that the ammo makers have gotten on the ball and offer a good deer round in about everything.
As for rifles. This really depends on budget. The SPS isn't a bad route. Probably not what I would go with, but certainly not terrible. I have fallen out of love with Remington of late. I know it seems to be the fad these days to hate on Remington factory rifles, but with the questionable fit and finish in a market that is so tight, I pass on Remington currently. A lot of guys seem to be more than happy with their SPS rifles though, and I will state I have no first hand experience with the SPS, so take that for a grain of salt.
I will say a few companies have stood out to me personally of late. Savage makes an ugly rifle. That ugly rifle shoots very very well though. From a function before form guy, the Savage is one of the tops on my list. My first pick would be to pick up a model with their new accustock in whatever chambering you decide. A sturdy stock, a decent action, a good trigger, and a very good(relative to other factory) barrel. Not much to hate other than they won't win a beauty pageant soon.
The Weatherby Vanguard is another great deal for the money. Good trigger, ok stock, good action and barrel with a 1.5" at 100 yard guarantee. Not many unhappy customers from what I hear.
The Thompson Center Venture is another bargain priced rifle with a lot going for it. The rifle has a guarantee to shoot 1" at 100 yards. Again hard to argue with. I have heard so so feedback on the venture but I think that is because most users were hoping for a half priced icon, which isn't quite what you get. Still for the money and with that guarantee it is hard to pass up.
Tikka has a large following. Never got in with them but a lot of positive comments.
Ruger is hit or miss for me and a bit expensive for the group listed. Their rifles, to me, have a lot of potential, but seem to be plagued with inconsistent accuracy reports. Some people claim them to be the most accurate rifles they own, and others say they just won't shoot with the competition. Who knows but for the price premium here, I find them a hard sell.
CZ is a brand I have strong following with. Again a bit of a price premium, but I feel it is warranted. Their rifles shoot well, the wood on the ones I have seen looks good, the action is a mauser copy, the barrels seem to shoot well, and the single set trigger is one I find amazing. It lets have a fully adjustable unset trigger, which can be tuned at home for the perfect hunting trigger, and also has the set trigger, which fits great at the bench. Just a solid rifle with a trigger I really enjoy.
Oh yeah, I skipped Winchester. Things seem to be moving for the better with them. If you can find one you like I wouldn't hesitate to buy one of them either.
So lots of options on both the chambering side and the rifle side. That said, even though there are many options, most all are quality choices making it hard to go wrong any way you decide.
Forgot about scopes. Not sure again on the budget but I find that Weaver makes a good budget 3-9. The Nikon prostaff is as inexpensive as I would go and may step up to the buckmaster. The Bushnell 3200 3-9 is another good yet inexpensive option. The Leupold VXI is about on par with the group and gets you the Leupold name and warranty. Sightron makes some good budget scopes as well. Clearidge scopes are another decent priced option. Made in Japan rather than China and have a good warranty. Vortex is another fairly unheard of line. They offer a no questions asked, replace at any vortex dealer, warranty. Take in your bad scope to any dealer, ask for a replacement, trade your scope, and be on your way.
I would stay away from China made scopes in general. There are a few areas where this may not be true but for the most part what comes from China is junk.
